AJ Sadauskas

Australian urban planning, public transport, politics, retrocomputing, and tech nerd. Recovering journo. Cat parent. Part-time miserable grump.

Cities for people, not cars! Tech for people, not investors!

Public Key

npub1s8hcaap75txgxanxkqqu0x8mv9ew6nhyu5q3yjh8dn83hxgr8mrqs5fgvf

NIP-05 Address

ajsadauskas_at_aus.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsgrmuw7sl29nyrwentqqw8nrakzuhdfmjw2qgjftnkencmnypna3s7atq50

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npub1s8hcaap75txgxanxkqqu0x8mv9ew6nhyu5q3yjh8dn83hxgr8mrqs5fgvf

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Last Notes

2024-08-06 03:00:53

The person at the Australian Conservation Foundation who's in charge of social media has just shared this on LinkedIn.
Apparently, "report bombing from anti-science trolls" seems to be to blame.
No explanation from either the "free speech absolutist" or X/Twitter.
It's time for the ACF to leave X and join BlueSky.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/112/912/836/423/156/295/original/11e2430b1e4fd6cd.png

2024-06-10 13:54:06

Here's quite possibly the simplest, clearest explanation of the Fediverse I've seen: https://makertube.net/videos/watch/4294a720-f263-4ea4-9392-cf9cea4d5277

2024-05-29 11:29:11

Want to see the National Library of Australia on Mastodon?
Let them know by filling out this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeU0qddTjTS_j7TG6t9MtuKWk7yWNYtRZZW-z6Ax2x6V7jOfA/viewform
And make sure you share this post so as many people as possible on here have the chance to fill in this survey.

2024-04-24 07:22:47

What cynical bastards!
"In a submission to the government’s review of copyright enforcement published this week, Google argued the government needs to consider whether copyright law has “the necessary flexibilities” to support the development of AI."
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/19/google-calls-for-relaxing-of-australias-copyright-laws-so-ai-can-mine-websites-for-information

2024-04-19 13:16:35

Soap.
Cybertrucks are being recalled because Tesla used *soap* to speed up manufacturing.
“[A]n unapproved change introduced lubricant (soap) to aid in the component assembly of the pad onto the accelerator pedal... [r]esidual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal.”
Yep. More of that high-quality product engineering and design that Elon is known for...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/19/tesla-cybertruck-throttle-accelerator-pedal-stuck/

2024-04-17 07:53:59

Okay, now this is getting absurd.
No, I really don't want a large language model mouse.
I don't want a dedicated LLM button on my mouse.
And I have no desire to use a chatbot from Logitech. Ever.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/17/24132468/logitech-ai-prompt-builder-button

2024-03-30 11:31:48

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@npub12ty…vnqc Do you have a cat?

2024-03-21 22:33:12

Adam Something reviewing the Cybertruck is the best thing I've seen all morning: https://youtu.be/lFloLGmPKl0?si=b6QvLt39i_RkFk8h

2024-03-13 12:40:36

Are microplastics from car tyres contributing to heart disease?
"Add one more likely culprit to the long list of known cardiovascular risk factors including red meat, butter, smoking and stress: microplastics.
"In a study released Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, an international team of physicians and researchers showed that surgical patients who had a build-up of micro and nanoplastics in their arterial plaque had a 2.1 times greater risk of nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke or death from any cause in the three years post surgery than those who did not."
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-03-07/microplastics-may-be-risk-factor-for-cardiovascular-disease
The research is particularly noteworthy, given that one of the biggest sources of microplastic pollution is the synthetic rubber in car tyres: https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/112015017609398126
So it's not just the sedentary lifestyles that car-dependent planning encourages that's causing health issues.
And it's not just exhaust fumes either.
There's also the health impacts of microplastics, including from car tyres.
Worth noting as well that internal documents from the big oil companies show that they knew since the 1970s that recycling wasn't going to solve the problem of plastic pollution. They promoted it anyway: https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/112064312364853769
#tyres #tyre #car #microplastic #microplastics #pollution #environment @npub1lt5…g4s5 #fuckcars

2024-03-11 10:48:36

Here's an observation that should be bleeding obvious, but often gets overlooked amidst all the AI hype.
Especially in the enterprise IT space, many of the tools and platforms now being hyped up as "AI" were around a decade ago.
Back then, the buzzwords used to sell them were big data, machine learning, and predictive data analytics.
With all the hype around large language models and ChatGPT, the vendors have basically repackaged them as AI.
But essentially, there's a whole bunch of old (or at least not new) tech now being shilled with new buzzwords.
#LargeLanguageModels #ArtificialIntelligence #ChatGPT #enrerpriseIT

2024-03-11 07:00:53

There's 24 people injured on a flight from Sydney to Auckland.
And what stands out for me is the frankly sociopathic statement from the airline:
"LATAM regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers, and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-11/latam-airlines-flights-requests-assistance-at-auckland-airport/103574168
First, how did we ever get to the point where this kind of, frankly, bullshit public relations response from companies is acceptable?
Who actually thinks this response to a crisis is remotely acceptable?
If 24 people are injured on a flight, clearly that airline's "framework of its operational standards" isn't working.
Frankly, after an incident, those operational standards probably need reviewing.
And just look at the passive voice in that first sentence. "This situation may have caused"? "Regret" rather than "sorry"? Passengers being rushed to hospital is an "inconvenience"?!
If this statement genuinely reflects this company's attitude towards safety, then frankly it should never fly again.
#capitalism #business #PublicRelations #spin

2024-03-10 10:25:25

What should I add to my '90s website?
So I'm currently toying around with NeoCities, and decided to trial it by building your classic mid '90s Geocities/Tripod/Angelfire pastiche website.
Some of the most important elements are already in place.
Tile background? Large font? Heading in bright pink with a shadow? Unusual colour choices? Random cat gifs? Under construction gif? Check! Check! Check!
In the true spirit of the '90s DIY web, some more pages (including the links page) are coming soon.
(I'm thinking of adding a page dedicated to either Britney or a nu-metal band.)
You can see the page so far here: https://that90ssite.neocities.org/
There are a few things that I want to add to make it complete, and I'm looking for suggestions.
The first, is to embed a midi file that plays automatically. Any suggestions on the best way of doing this?
Second, it's just not going to be complete without a guestbook.
Third, any webring suggestions?
Fourth, what's the best way of adding a java chat room in 2024?
Finally, anything else that really needs to be a part of a great '90s website?
@npub1cvz…vmrq #tech #webdev #neocities #technology

2024-03-09 06:28:23

Really important article here about how big oil companies, including ExxonMobil, knew plastic recycling was BS since the'70s, but kept pushing the lie anyway.
"New research by the Center for Climate Integrity reveals that the plastics industry knew this plastic waste crisis was coming. And so petrochemical manufacturers worked hard to persuade the public that we could recycle our way out of the problem."
https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/4513908-big-oils-big-deception-that-plastics-are-recyclable/
This is in addition to them knowing about the dangers of carbon emissions since the 1970s, and deliberately delaying action: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/
(Worth noting the plastic used in the synthetic rubber in tyres is a major source of plastic pollution: https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/112009009421402914)
"Twenty petrochemical companies generate more than half of all the world’s single-use plastics. They include major oil and gas companies such as ExxonMobil, the world’s leading producer of single-use plastic waste.
...
"Behind the scenes, however, they were admitting all along that such efforts were “virtually hopeless.” For more than 40 years, they knew that plastic recycling is not technically or economically feasible at scale. More than 90 percent of all plastic has ended up in landfills, ecosystems, or incinerators.
...
"Since the 1970s, these companies, their trade associations, and their front groups promoted recycling “solutions” using misleading advertising, inaccurate educational materials, performative investments, and commitments that they knew they were unlikely to meet.
...
"Internal documents reveal that the industry knew by 1986, for example, that “recycling cannot be considered a permanent solid waste solution [to plastics], as it merely prolongs the time until an item is disposed of.” In 1994, an Exxon employee warned staffers at the American Plastics Council that they did not “want paper floating around” saying they could not meet recycling goals, since the issue was “highly sensitive politically.” These compelling admissions and many more are grounds for a thorough investigation.
...
"Plastics are a product made from fossil fuels. As the world moves away from fossil fuels in a race to avert climate catastrophe, journalists have shined a light on how oil companies promote recycling, in part because plastics are their 'Plan B.'"
https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/4513908-big-oils-big-deception-that-plastics-are-recyclable/
These days, the CEO of ExxonMobil likes to gaslight the public and blame activists:
"Frankly, society, and the activist—the dominant voice in this discussion—has tried to exclude the industry that has the most capacity and the highest potential for helping with some of the technologies."
https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/112009009421402914
Well, these same companies knew about the problems with toxic fossil fuel pollution since the 1970s. That's both greenhouse gas and microplastic pollution.
And they deliberately and knowingly lied to delay action.
@npub1vrx…fp8q #environment #plastic #pollution #ClimateChange #waste #CarbonEmissions

2024-03-05 13:10:19

Are there currently any Substack replacements that integrate with ActivityPub?
So I'm currently looking for a Substack substitute for taking donations.
I'd want it to feature a blog (and preferably newsletters too) that include a mix of publicly-accessible posts, as well as posts that are only visible to donors.
And ideally, I want it to also integrate with ActivityPub too.
That might mean a Fediverse post is automatically generated when a new blog post is published. Or potentially the publicly visible blog posts are published in full to the Fediverse.
Now, I know there are a few donations platforms that can handle the first part, such as Ghost and Ko-Fi.
There are also blogging platforms such as WriteFreely/Write.as and Micro.blog that integrate with the Fedi.
And in theory you could do both with a WordPress blog and number of plugins, some paid. But especially with paid plugins, that's likely to get quite expensive quickly. (Not to mention some of the questionable things that have happened at Automattic in recent weeks.)
But are there any platforms out there that support both?
Or is the best option at this stage just to get a Ko-Fi/Ghost account for the donations and donor-only posts, with a separate micro.blog or write.as account for the publicly accessible posts?
@npub1cvz…vmrq #fediverse #substack #blogs

2024-03-05 03:37:11

In an age of LLMs, is it time to reconsider human-edited web directories?
Back in the early-to-mid '90s, one of the main ways of finding anything on the web was to browse through a web directory.
These directories generally had a list of categories on their front page. News/Sport/Entertainment/Arts/Technology/Fashion/etc.
Each of those categories had subcategories, and sub-subcategories that you clicked through until you got to a list of websites. These lists were maintained by actual humans.
Typically, these directories also had a limited web search that would crawl through the pages of websites listed in the directory.
Lycos, Excite, AltaVista, and of course Yahoo all were originally web directories of this sort.
By the late '90s, the standard narrative goes, the web got too big to index websites manually.
Google promised the world its algorithms would weed out the spam automatically.
And for a time, it worked.
But then SEO and SEM became a multi-billion-dollar industry. The spambots proliferated. Google itself began promoting its own content and advertisers above search results.
And now with LLMs, the industrial-scale spamming of the web is likely to grow exponentially.
My question is, if a lot of the web is turning to crap, do we even want to search the entire web anymore?
Do we really want to search every single website on the web?
Or just those that aren't filled with LLM-generated SEO spam?
Or just those that don't feature 200 tracking scripts, and passive-aggressive privacy warnings, and paywalls, and popovers, and newsletters, and increasingly obnoxious banner ads, and dark patterns to prevent you cancelling your "free trial" subscription?
At some point, does it become more desirable to go back to search engines that only crawl pages on human-curated lists of trustworthy, quality websites?
And is it time to begin considering what a modern version of those early web directories might look like?
@npub13sc…wx88 #tech #google #web #internet #LLM #LLMs #enshittification #technology #search #SearchEngines #SEO #SEM

2024-03-04 07:30:34

- reply

@npub1kch…23tm @npub1prs…lv40 @npub14uk…2erc @npub1cpf…5qsn @npub1njp…v4es @npub1hyk…3p33 @npub143e…p8xr @npub19qm…sn8k @npub15v4…35m8 @npub1mmf…eknq @npub1v3w…a8p4 @npub1suv…xfz9 @npub1cfr…8g0l Thanks, you're far too kind.
Although there's a few other people who I think might be better qualified to head up the Fediverse EPA (and you should definitely follow them):
@npub1vu4…fe8c
@npub15lv…5ds0
@npub185s…hec5
@npub1nux…qgul
@npub1zvd…vdgg
@npub1v97…j50x
@npub1h2t…rmjr
@RARhode@fediscience.org
@npub12yd…dsqf
@npub1dgt…cpd9
@npub1y5r…jemk
@npub1etx…df45
@npub1tfr…h3sa

2024-03-01 09:54:09

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@npub1eey…f0kr Fun fact: in many jurisdictions, you don't pay capital gains on the income you own on shares until you sell them.
So here's a purely hypothetical example, written with no specific individual in mind. Any resemblance to any real-world examples is pure coincidence.
So imagine you and your business partner start a little software company (with a little help from your mum and dad), and you retain a 50% stake.
Now let's imagine this personal computer thing really goes mainstream. People who don't have computer science PhDs even start to use them.
Your little startup benefits from a combination of good business contacts at IBM (thanks again mum and dad), a knockoff of CP/M that some hobbyist wrote based on a manual, copying some design decisions that Steve Jobs copied from Xerox, and a few questionable business moves that the US Department of Justice will later raise in court.
A couple of decades and an antitrust suit for anti-competitive behaviour later, your little tech company grows to a market cap of $100 billion.
Congratulations! Your 50% stake is now worth $50 billion!
At this point, you haven't had to pay tax on that $50 billion worth of shares, because it's an unrealised capital gain.
It's a huge amount of wealth, but the problem is it's all tied up in one company.
And given your firm's increasing reputation for poor cybersecurity practices and regulatory interest on at least two continents, you decide it's prudent to diversify your investments.
In this purely hypothetical scenario, you really have two choices.
You can sell off your shares. But if you do, you're likely to face a truly astronomical capital gains tax bill. We're talking tens of billions of dollars here.
Or.
You could form a tax exempt charitable foundation that you control, and donate all your shares to it.
Not only do you get out of that capital gains tax bill, but you still get to control the capital you accumulated through your foundation.
An added bonus, if your accountant is good, is that you might also potentially get a massive tax credit that will basically wipe out any income tax you may need to pay in the future.
The only real catch is that you do need to donate a portion of the wealth in your foundation to charitable causes.
But you get to pick which ones.
And not only will the amounts you have to donate be smaller than your capital gains tax bill would have been, but you also get lauded for being a visionary humanitarian.
Oh, and one more perk.
Should you choose to do so, you just make sure your kids take over running your foundation when you're done, and they'll get to control the wealth you accumulated—without any pesky estate taxes!
(They can honestly say they only inherited a few million from you, while they run your multi-billion-dollar foundation to boot!)
This is a pure hypothetical, of course...

2024-02-27 01:54:24

Looks like the Boring Company's Las Vegas tunnels are going about as well as you'd expect from an Elon project...
"The muck pooling in the tunnel at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip had the consistency of a milkshake and, in some places, sat at least two feet deep. ... At first, it merely felt damp. But in addition to the water, sand and silt—the natural byproducts of any dig—the workers understood that it was full of chemicals known as accelerants.
"The accelerants cure the grout that seals the tunnel’s concrete supports, helping the grout set properly and protecting the work against cracks and other deterioration. They also seriously burn exposed human skin. At the Encore dig site, such burns became almost routine, workers there told Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. An investigation by the state OSHA, which Bloomberg Businessweek has obtained via a freedom of information request, describes workers being scarred permanently on their arms and legs. According to the investigation, at least one employee took a direct hit to the face. In an interview with Businessweek, one of the tunnel workers recalls the feeling of exposure to the chemicals: “You’d be like, ‘Why am I on fire?’”"
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-02-26/elon-musk-las-vegas-loop-tunnel-has-construction-safety-issues?gaa_at=la&gaa_n=
Paywall bypass: https://archive.is/su7fa
#Urbanism #Gadgetbahn #Elon #ElonMusk #Transit #PublicTransport #Cars #Car #Nevada #Capitalism #Business #Economics #LasVegas #UrbanPlanning @npub1lt5…g4s5

2024-02-18 10:02:54

What can you get to within a 15-minute walk of your house?
A recent YouGov survey asked Americans what they think they should be able to get to within a 15-minute walk of their house.
Of these choices, I can currently walk to all of them from my apartment, aside from a university (no biggie, I'm not currently studying, although there is a Tafe within walking distance), a hospital, and a sports arena.
How many can you get to with a 15 minute walk from your house?
#fuckcars #walkability #urbanism #UrbanPlanning @npub1lt5…g4s5 #walking
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/111/951/899/340/536/949/original/5365f620608e38bb.jpeg

2024-02-18 03:06:58

Yet another example here of the problems with LLMs.
And no, it's not that a super-intelligent general AI will kill us all.
It's that the best candidates will be rejected because sexist, ageist, and racist biases are built into the LLM models.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240214-ai-recruiting-hiring-software-bias-discrimination
#AI #LLM #capitalism #business #work #hiring

2024-02-10 23:52:42

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@npub1a24…etnp If anyone wants an excellent deep dive about this topic, please watch this video essay: https://youtu.be/pRjEOGfTvgI?si=9vJ7gJB3ACEQ6sKE
It's over an hour in length, but I almost guarantee you will learn so much about the history of rock that you never knew.

2024-02-08 12:44:26

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@npub1r47…wytr @npub1kja…e5gq Here's the full text of the 14th Amendment:
"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability."
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-14/section-3/
I'm not a US constitutional lawyer, but here's my layman's reading of it:
If the Supreme Court decides 6 January was "insurrection or rebellion" against the United States.
And if it decides Donny participated in it, "having previously taken an oath, as ... an officer of the United States" to "support the Constitution of the United States".
Then Donny can't be a "Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State".
The only way it can be lifted is if Congress votes to lift it "by a vote of two-thirds of each House".
I get the feeling Nikki Haley is secretly hoping that happens...

2024-02-01 23:37:29

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@npub1a24…etnp Sounds like Mr Rob Van Winkle had some smart managers back in the day, who made sure he'd get the royalties to Ice, Ice Baby.

2024-01-28 04:38:03

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@npub1xr8…3q0g I sometimes wonder whether human speech, with all its vowel sounds, sounds something like meow-wow-mau to cat ears.
Which, reproduced through cat vocal chords, ends up sounding like meow-meow-meow.
The tk-k-k-k-k-k chatter is your kitty speaking in bird. "Hewwo tasty wittle birdy. Come closer! Miss Fluffy is a wittle birdy too!"
Then there's the cat-to-cat chatter, which is more of a "Mrrrrr prrrrr! Ma! Mrrr Makrrrrrr!"

2024-01-02 07:07:23

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@npub1dnn…yyg8 Here's the Reserve Bank of Australia's report on all the work that was done across the financial services industry to prepare for Y2K: https://www.rba.gov.au/fin-services/resources/y2k-preps.pdf
It's worth noting the Australian financial year ends on 30 June. So a lot of changes had to be in place by then (in case there were problems caused by financial year 00 appearing in any systems).
There was also a bit of a dry run in January 1999, when the euro was introduced (something a lot of articles leave out).
"There was significant progress during the June 1999 quarter, with more than half of the banks reporting at end-June that all critical systems had been completely renovated and tested. Most of the remaining banks finalised testing during July and August. The few remaining systems where testing is yet to be finalised are systems where any problems would have little or no impact on retail bank accounts or the payments system.
"A comprehensive program to test the Year 2000 readiness of the Australian payments system, managed by the Australian Payments Clearing Association (APCA), was successfully completed, on time, by 30 June 1999 and no Year 2000 problems were reported by test participants. Because of this effort, the Australian public can be
confident that their usual method of making non-cash payments, such as ATMs, EFTPOS and credit cards, will continue to work as usual over the New Year period.
"Credit unions have approached Year 2000 preparations from an industry viewpoint. There has been a high level of cooperation between individual institutions and
considerable assistance from industry special service providers.
"The June 1999 returns indicated that the very large majority of building societies and credit unions had completed the testing and implementation phase of their Year 2000
project by end-June 1999. Where there has been some slippage in testing timetables,
this has been largely due to external service providers, an issue that was addressed by
additional testing periods in July and August. FI Scheme supervisors have encouraged
institutions to impose a freeze on changes to critical applications over the two main
periods of risk."
Non-Y2K updates to systems were also frozen at many financial institutions:
"APRA has also written to institutions suggesting that they should consider setting
periods in the latter part of 1999 and early 2000 (including the period around
29 February 2000) during which changes to critical systems will only be undertaken
if deemed absolutely necessary. This is to ensure that any changes do not introduce errors into systems that have already been tested. Most institutions have put in place a freeze period on changes to critical applications."

2023-12-10 07:00:29

Are agile scrums an outdated idea?
Here's a video on YouTube making the case for why agile was an innovative methodology when it was first introduced 20 years ago.
However, he argues these days, daily scrums are a waste of time, and many organisations would be better off automating their reporting processes, giving teams more autonomy, and letting people get on with their work:
https://youtu.be/KJ5u_Kui1sU?si=M_VLET7v0wCP4gHq
A few of my thoughts.
First, it's worth noting that many organisations that claim to be "agile" aren't, and many that claim to use agile processes don't.
Just as a refresher, here's the key values and principles from the agile manifesto: http://agilemanifesto.org/
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan
* Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
* Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
* Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
* Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
* Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
* The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
* Working software is the primary measure of progress.
* Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
* Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
* Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
* The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
* At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Your workplace isn't agile if your team is micromanaged from above; if you have a kanban board filled with planning, documentation, and reporting tasks; if your organisation is driven by processes and procedures; if you don't have autonomous cross-functional teams.
Yet in many "agile" organisations, I've noticed that the basic principles of agile are ignored, and what you have is micromanagement through scrums and kanban boards.
And especially outside software development teams, agile tends to just be a hollow buzzword. (I once met a manager at a conference who talked up how agile his business was, and didn't believe me when I said agile was originally a software development methodology — one he revealed he wasn't following the principles of.)
#agile @npub15xa…svyx #technology #scrum #tech #Dev

2023-11-23 10:52:18

Quick tip for anyone who wants more urbanism/urban planning/cycling/public transport posts in their Mastodon feed.
Thanks to the wonders of the Fediverse, you can follow and post to Lemmy groups from Mastodon.
For those unfamiliar with it, Lemmy is basically a federated version of Reddit, distributed across multiple servers like Mastodon. (For anyone who's interested in delving further, lemmy.ml, beehaw.org, and aussie.zone are three popular Lemmy instances.)
From Mastodon, you can follow any Lemmy group by following its handle, exactly the same way that you would follow a Mastodon account. Any new posts to that group will then begin appearing in your Mastodon feed.
Here are some transport/planning/cycling groups to get you started:
@npub1m7w…esce
@npub1lt5…g4s5
@npub1ntz…0trw
@npub1cxj…5y0j
@npub1eqy…t2p7
@npub15ne…r79j
@npub1hnt…yvjs
@npub1e5x…p9hx
@npub1445…alsq
@npub15ap…pxp8
@npub1fwc…75my
Even better, if you start a thread on Mastodon, you can also post it to a relevant Lemmy group just by including its handle in your post. (Please note this only seems to work with the first post of a thread.)
#urbanism #planning #UrbanPlanning #cities #transport #PublicTransport #trains #trams #cycling #bikes

2023-11-17 11:28:41

With BlueSky moving towards finally opening up federation, I'm interested in how people feel about it?
Would you be open to the idea of Mastodon, Lemmy, Pixelfed, and other Fediverse platforms adopting the AT protocol in order to federate with it?
If those technical hurdles could be overcome, would you support your instance federating with BlueSky?
Does the same go for other commercially-owned platforms, such as Threads and Tumblr?
#BlueSky #Fediverse #Threads #Mastodon @npub1xtm…3hcj

2023-11-13 06:47:12

Interesting explanation about what really went wrong with Optus last week.
The short version: it looks like Optus doesn't control its own core network. Its parent company Singapore Telecom does. Optus just resells it.
Which is why Optus' CEO was so vague about what the issue actually was: she was protecting her bosses in Singapore.
https://www.channelnews.com.au/excluseoptus-services-failure-was-on-a-netork-operated-by-singtel-claim-insiders/
#Optus #OptusOutage @npub15xa…svyx #telco

2023-09-14 12:20:04

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@npub17lg…9uux The company that brought the world Internet Explorer and autorun.ini on CDs has a security culture problem?
I'm shocked!

2023-09-14 07:33:03

Right now, could you prepare a slice of toast with zero embodied carbon emissions?
Since at least the 2000s, big polluters have tried to frame carbon emissions as an issue to be solved through the purchasing choices of individual consumers.
Solving climate change, we've been told, is not a matter of public policy or infrastructure. Instead, it's about convincing individual consumers to reduce their "carbon footprint" (a term coined by BP: https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/23/big-oil-coined-carbon-footprints-to-blame-us-for-their-greed-keep-them-on-the-hook).
Yet, right now, millions of people couldn't prepare a slice of toast without causing carbon emissions, even if they wanted to.
In many low-density single-use-zoned suburbs, the only realistic option for getting to the store to get a loaf of bread is to drive. The power coming out of the mains includes energy from coal or gas.
But.
Even if they invested in solar panels, and an inverter, and a battery system, and only used an electric toaster, and baked the loaf themselves in an electric oven, and walked/cycled/drove an EV to the store to get flour and yeast, there are still embodied carbon emissions in that loaf of bread.
Just think about the diesel powered trucks used to transport the grains and packaging to the flour factory, the energy used to power the milling equipment, and the diesel fuel used to transport that flour to the store.
Basically, unless you go completely off grid and grow your own organic wheat, your zero emissions toast just ain't happening.
And that's for the most basic of food products!
Unless we get the infrastructure in place to move to a 100% renewables and storage grid, and use it to power fully electric freight rail and zero emissions passenger transport, pretty much all of our decarbonisation efforts are non-starters.
This is fundamentally an infrastructure and public policy problem, not a problem of individual consumer choice.
#ClimateChange #urbanism #infrastructure #energy #grid #politics #power @npub1vrx…fp8q

2023-09-05 11:36:15

Prominent "free-speech absolutist" threatens to sue Jewish anti-hate group because it engaged in free speech he didn't like.
"Elon Musk has threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League after accusing the civil rights group that campaigns against antisemitism and bigotry of trying to “kill” his X social media platform.
"The owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, said the ADL was trying to shut down his company by 'falsely accusing it and me of being antisemitic'."
If your list of enemies includes the ADL, then there's a more-than-reasonable chance that you're an anti-semite.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/05/elon-musk-sue-adl-x-twitter
@npub1n2q…2a5r #twitter #musk #ElonMusk

2023-08-14 11:28:03

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@npub1xr8…3q0g So let me get this straight.
They don't want a price on carbon.
They want a sea wall to protect their clifftop mansions from sea erosion.
They want that wall to be vertical, to preserve as much of their privately-owned beaches as possible.
But they also don't want the sea wall that protects their mansions to be ugly, like the one in Collaroy, because they're NIMBYs who want to maximise their property prices.
Despite not wanting a price on carbon, they want either the local or state government to build and maintain the beautiful vertical seawall on their private land that protects their clifftop mansions and their private beaches from erosion.
But the local council and the state government aren't paying, and they refuse to pay for it themselves.
So instead of building a beautiful seawall, or even a functional seawall like Collaroy, they're letting their mansions slowly fall into the sea.
...
Anyone have a Nurofen?

2023-08-01 09:54:03

So just imagine we let one man, and his company, buy most of the papers in our regional cities and small towns.
And that man was named Rupert Murdoch.
And that man decided to shut down the print editions, and instead put those papers behind the paywalls of his big right-wing metropolitan tabloids.
Want to read the local newspaper in Lismore? It's now behind the Daily Telegraph paywall.
And then that man gutted the editorial team for each online newspaper to just one person.
And then used generative AI to centrally churn out 3000 local news articles per week across all his local publications, overseen by four human journalists.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/aug/01/news-corp-ai-chat-gpt-stories
#auspol #NewsCorp #murdoch #vicpol #nswpol #qldpol #sapol #wapol @npub1mle…749f

2023-05-21 09:08:32

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@npub1kja…e5gq interesting thoughts, and I definitely agree that people should be very careful that this isn't an embrace/extend/extinguish play by Meta.
A couple of months ago, I speculated they might be up to something like this: https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/110013631199835319

2023-04-19 22:27:23

Looks like even more brands are going to vanish from Twitter soon.
One of Twitter's big advantages over Mastodon for brands and advertisers was that it was supported by a range of social media and ad management tools.
Not anymore!
Via Mashable:
"Microsoft is going to drop Twitter from its Microsoft Advertising plan next week, according to the company.
"Users will no longer be able to access their Twitter account through its Digital Marketing Center's social media management tool, according to Microsoft. Users will also no longer be able to schedule, create, or manage tweets or tweet drafts. In addition, users won't be able to view their past tweets and engagement on the Microsoft Advertising platform."
https://mashable.com/article/microsoft-drops-twitter-from-advertising-platform
#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6] #[7]

2023-04-19 12:40:40

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] You'd follow individual accounts from there.
So for example I have a Pixelfed account at #[5] . You can follow it from Mastodon if you like...
As for hashtags, both Pixelfed and Mastodon will surface the posts from across the Fediverse that use a given hashtag.
But.
On Pixelfed, it will just surface the posts with pictures and videos, so it's easier to find the accounts posting pictures and videos.
On Mastodon, it will surface text posts as well as pictures.
And then local on Pixelfed is just photo posts, rather than the text posts that dominate on a Mastodon instance.
So if you want an Instagram replacement that's focused on photos, or you're looking for great photography and images, then Pixelfed has a much better UX for it. If you want all posts, go with Mastodon.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/110/225/516/055/683/114/original/e0c7b96444f49177.png
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/110/225/516/126/105/744/original/f992389d99759847.png

2023-04-19 11:59:26

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#[0] #[1] Just imagine how big the news would be if two male AFL players went over to Ireland in the offseason to play Gaelic football, and ended up winning the premiership?
So why isn't that the case when the players are women?
Right now, there's all this supposed concern about women's sport that some people profess to have as soon as trans women are mentioned.
Yet at the same time women's sport continues to be played in front of smaller crowds, in smaller venues, with far less media attention and coverage, for significantly less money.
And, no surprise, most of the bigots don't say a word about it.
#[2] #[3] #[4] #[5]
https://www.womens.afl/news/119214

2023-04-19 09:06:53

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#[0] #[1] Looks like yet another injury, #[2] . What's happening to West Coast this season? Is it just poor conditioning? Injury management? An older list? Just bad luck?
#[3] #[4] #[5] #[6] #[7] #[8]

2023-04-19 08:47:45

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#[0] #[1] It seems like every year, the AFL overreacts to a (real or perceived) issue by cracking down on a rule, without explaining it properly.
It begins with a spate of poorly communicated, overly harsh decisions in round five.
By round 10, there's widespread outrage from coaches, players, club officials, the media, and fans.
By round 15, it's quietly forgotten.
Last season, in response to a shortage of umpires at grassroots level, they had a crackdown on dissenting an umpire's decision.
And this year, in response to the concussion lawsuit, they're cracking down on tackles.
#[2] #[3]

2023-04-19 02:18:16

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#[0] #[1] Worth adding: Lemmy.ml #[2] is a great Fediverse-connected alternative to Reddit.
The best thing is that you can follow Lemmy groups from Mastodon.

2023-04-18 22:21:25

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#[0] I'm increasingly sure that something like this is what he's going for: https://aus.social/@ajsadauskas/109979152813584947

2023-04-18 10:30:20

Is your super money being invested into oil and gas?
"Australia’s 15 largest super funds have invested a total of more than $25 billion into new and expanding coal, oil and gas projects, according to an analysis from The Australian Conservation Foundation.
"One of the biggest offenders, AustralianSuper, had almost $10 billion invested in fossil fuel operations at the end of December 2022, the report finds."
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-super-funds-sink-25-billion-into-coal-oil-and-gas/
#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6] #[7]

2023-04-17 12:22:43

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] The silver lining on the injuries is it provides an opportunity for younger players (and depth players) to make an impression. It speeds up the rebuild, without pulling a Hawthorn.

2023-04-17 10:13:20

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] West Coast should rebuild quickly.
There's a strong go-home factors from any WA player at any of the east coast clubs, and plenty of talent in the WAFL.
It'll almost certainly be a much smoother ride than it was for Brisbane and North.
Whether Adam Simpson makes it through is a different question.
#[4] #[5] #[6] #[7]

2023-04-17 09:57:25

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#[0] #[1] A good list of suggestions for Gather Round next year.
I especially like the idea of a game in the Barossa Valley, or more SANFL grounds being used.
Perhaps a match in Glenelg? Or Unley? Or even Port playing an in-season AFL match at Alberton Oval?
#[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6] #[7] #[8] #[9]

2023-04-17 09:43:57

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#[0] Ending the rail line at Toowoomba might save $10 billion, but it also completely defeats the purpose of building an inland freight railway from Melbourne to Brisbane.
It leaves you with a roughly $31 billion train line from Melbourne to Toowoomba.
It also means you don't have a fast rail from Toowoomba to the port of Brisbane.

2023-04-17 09:40:19

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#[0] Well, it happened.
Write down the date, folks, because I doubt it will happen again.
Monday, 17 April 2023.
It's the date that Sarah Henderson said something that actually makes sense.
Because pausing Geelong Fast Rail really doesn't make any sense.

2023-04-17 09:34:26

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#[0] Just about the only good thing John Anderson is good for (if your first name isn't "Gina") is if you're organising a trivia night.
"Who replaced Tim Fischer as the federal leader of the Nationals in 1999?" is a pearler of a question.
Roughly half the people will just write Barnaby, and the other half will struggle to remember who the smug white guy with the beige personality in the generic grey suits was.

2023-04-17 02:31:58

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#[0] It's definitely not just you

2023-04-17 02:25:13

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] It is a bit, but it's a convention that's carried over from that-other-social-platform.
If you take a look at the #[5] hashtag, the discussion is overwhelmingly about what Peter Malinauskas is up to, and SA state politics more broadly:
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/110/211/774/700/384/372/original/64aeb0d83fc4e584.png

2023-04-17 02:22:07

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] One more tip, a little more advanced this time.
Alongside Mastodon, there's a number of other platforms and projects on the Fediverse that share posts to and from Mastodon.
One of these is called Lemmy https://lemmy.ml/ , which is basically a community-owned discussion group replacement for Reddit.
You can interact with discussions on Lemmy from Mastodon.
Each Lemmy discussion group has an account that you can follow from Mastodon like any other account that will share any new posts in that group.
Likewise, if you tag the account of a Lemmy group in your post, that discussion will be added to the Lemmy group you tag.
Here are some Lemmy groups to tag and follow:
#[5] Discussions about the Fediverse
#[6] Technology
#[7] World news
#[8] Australian news and politics
#[9] Linux
@opersource@lemmy.ml Open source
#[10] Urban planning and transport
#[11] Aussie Rules football
#[12] US news and politics
@europe@lemmy Euopean news and politics
#[13] Advice from the Lemmy community
#[14] Memes
#[15] Environmental discussions
#[16] Politics
And there's a heap more listed here: https://lemmy.ml/communities
#[17] #[18] #[19]

2023-04-17 01:58:07

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] Some transport and urban planning related hashtags to follow:
#[4]
#[5]
#[6]
#[7]
#[8]
#[9]
#[10]
#[11]
#[12]
#[13]
#[14]
#[15]
Elsewhere on the Fediverse, there's a discussion group on Lemmy at https://lemmy.ml/c/fuck_cars
Through the magic of the Fediverse, you can follow that Lemmy discussion by following #[16] .
Any posts you add with the tag #[17] will automatically be added to the Lemmy group.

2023-04-17 01:53:03

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#[0] #[1]
Some important Australian hashtags:
#[2] and #[3] Especially if you are not an Indigenous Australian, please use these hashtags (ideally with a cover warning) when discussing the Voice To Parliament referendum.
#[4] Australian literature
#[5] Australian business
#[6] Discussion of Aussie Rules football
#[7] Discussion of rugby league
#[8] Australian politics
#[9] State politics in New South Wales
#[10] Victorian state politics
#[11] Queensland state politics
#[12] Tasmanian state politics
#[13] South Australian state politics
#[14] West Australian state politics
#[15] Northern Territory politics
#[16] ACT politics
Elsewhere on the Fediverse, there's an Australian discussion group on Lemmy here: https://lemmy.ml/c/australia
And for AFL football here: https://lemmy.ml/c/afl
You can follow both from Mastodon by following #[17] and #[18]

2023-04-16 14:50:07

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#[0] Actually, on second thought...
I'm actually the princess in every '80s video game.
And yes, I said that I was captured by a monster, but really I just wanted out of our relationship in a way that didn't hurt your feelings (and your ego) too much.
Actually, I set up the eight worlds with five levels each, kinda hoping you'd take the hint. What, you don't think a monster came up with that.
And while it's sweet that dodged those spike pits and flamethrowers I set up, your princess is in another castle.

2023-04-16 13:55:25

Heads up to anyone who wants to discuss the AFL on Mastodon.
Make sure you follow #[0] and #[1]
There's also a discussion group on the Fediverse over on Lemmy at https://lemmy.ml/c/afl
#[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6] #[7] #[8]

2023-04-16 13:49:58

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#[0] They managed a respectable loss, but could have won.
By the way, it's probably worth following #[1] if you haven't already.

2023-04-16 13:43:33

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#[0] I'm the monster in Sim City who's come to tear down your freeways and that low-density housing you put near your downtown core.
Also, roar.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/110/208/784/665/124/747/original/4bb05528adfe1ebd.mp4

2023-04-16 13:38:32

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#[0] #[1] As for Stewie, here's the most telling paragraph in the article:
"North Melbourne, Richmond, Melbourne, West Coast. If the Suns don't win three of those matches, yet another season – their 13th in the AFL – will end in crushing disappointment."
Sounds like the football media is gearing up for a pile-ons on Stewie if the Sun's don't win the next few games.
Expect club officials to begin issuing statements about how he has "the full support of the board" shortly.
#[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6]

2023-04-16 13:01:54

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] I'd just add a reminder that Mastodon isn't the only project that uses ActivityPub that would benefit from Wikimedia integration.
Think Wikimedia Commons videos on PeerTube. Wikimedia Commons photos on Pixelfed. Talk pages visible from Lemmy.
#[6] #[7] #[8]

2023-04-16 12:45:32

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#[0] #[1] It looks like it will be a good match this year. Essendon seems to be back in form, and Collingwood definitely is too.
The best thing to come out of it will be that either Collingwood or Essendon will lose.
The downside is that either Collingwood or Essendon will win.
#[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6]

2023-04-16 12:38:16

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#[0] #[1] In hindsight, I think it was probably a mistake to create a new club from scratch for the Gold Coast, rather than add Southport to the AFL.
Gold Coast has drafted some great players over the years. Lynch, Prestia, May, O'Meara, Greenwood, Caddy, Kolodjashnij, Malceski, Saad, Scrimshaw. I'm glossing over a heap I'm sure.
The problem is they're all from the southern states, and after a couple of seasons they all want to head home.
They really need to get better at developing local academy players to be successful over the long term.
As for Stewie Dew, I don't see them making the finals this year. I think he's done.
#[2] #[3] #[4] #[5] #[6]

2023-04-16 09:42:14

AFL match highlights: Greater Western Sydney snatch narrow win over Hawthorn at Adelaide's Norwood Oval.
https://youtu.be/ODZ0daffd
#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3]

2023-04-16 09:33:42

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#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] And it's already happening:
"Numerous public service Twitter accounts have lost their ability to automatically post breaking news and events. Twitter has been removing API access, which allows many of these accounts to post in an authorized way by the platform, as it switches to Musk's new high-priced paid API system.
"Many of these affected Twitter accounts have automated updates, but aren't the type of hands-off bot accounts that some may think of when they hear the term 'bot.'
"For example, numerous National Weather Service accounts that provide consistent updates, both automated and manually posted by humans, shared that they could no longer provide their up-to-the-minute, potentially life-saving updates."
So less automated information updates on Twitter from things like weather services, and more posts by state-sponsored troll farms and spammers with blue ticks.
https://mashable.com/article/twitter-api-removal-public-safety-twitter-accounts
#[4] #[5] #[6] #[7] #[8] #[9]

2023-04-16 03:25:14

And here's yet another example of how Elon is eroding the usefulness of Twitter.
One of the useful things about Twitter has been the ability to Tweet at or send a message to companies, and get a response from a staff member.
On the company's end, there are various customer service platforms that handle those customer service requests.
But with Elon now charging $US42,000 per month or more for API access, offering customer service support through Twitter is no longer financially viable:
"On Thursday, Intercom announced that the company would no longer support Twitter Integration due to the recent API pricing changes implemented by Twitter.
"Intercom's clients span many industries and include companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Udemy, and H&R Block using its customer support products and services."
https://mashable.com/article/intercom-drops-twitter
#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] #[5]

2023-04-15 13:05:28

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#[0] Congratulations Dr Gelbard! 😊

2023-04-15 08:56:59

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#[0] #[1] My bugbear is the displays on the trains.
It used to clearly show you the next station, and cycle through the upcoming stations.
Now it shows this, in a smaller font that I find difficult to read across the carriage.
https://mediacdn.aus.social/media_attachments/files/110/201/993/439/515/205/original/08c11e4136809fa4.jpg

2023-04-15 05:37:31

AFL Gather Round highlights: Papley leads the Sydney Swans to a big win against Richmond at the Adelaide Oval.
https://youtu.be/BlNyh4C2xiQ
#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] #[5]

2023-04-15 04:28:23

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#[0] There are some really important points made in this article.
A big one is about the hypocrisy of people who claim to support refugees, yet embrace NIMBYism to oppose the housing policies that would give refugees a place to live.
It's certainly a common issue in some of the inner suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney:
"My city’s prohibitive housing costs flow, in part, from the district’s infamous war against new construction. Much of D.C. is off-limits for new development, thanks to widespread single-family zoning, berserk historical-preservation rules, and a long-standing aversion to taller buildings, which stems from both federal law and local rules. If the city’s housing policies are so broken that the federal government has to explicitly tell immigrants to find somewhere else to live, then signage welcoming refugees is both futile and hypocritical. The same neighborhoods saying yes to refugees in their front yard are supporting policies in their backyard that say no to refugees."
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/04/front-yard-placards-nimby-dei-refugees/673706/
#[1] #[2] #[3] #[4] #[5]

2023-04-13 00:44:39

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#[0] Will Pixelfed Groups be interoperable with communities in Lemmy? Will there be any way to interact with Lemmy communities from Pixelfed?

2023-04-03 22:10:35

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#[0] Chris, it's not 1 April anymore, and not even Elon would...
Wait, WTF?!

2022-11-13 05:15:16

The thing about Twitter is that it really lacks a lot of the features you'd expect from a true Mastodon replacement.
For example, there's no way to edit your toots (which they, confusingly call "tweets"—let's face it, it's a bit of a silly name that's difficult to take seriously).
"Tweets" can't be covered by a content warning. There's no way to let the poster know you like their tweet without also sharing it, and no bookmark feature.
There's no way to set up your own instance, and you're basically stuck on a single instance of Twitter. That means there's no community moderators you can reach out to to quickly resolve issues. Also, you can't de-federate instances with a lot of problematic content.
It also doesn't Integrate with other fediverse platforms, and I couldn't find the option to turn the ads off.
Really, Twitter has made a good start, but it will need to add a lot of additional features before it gets to the point where it becomes a true Mastodon replacement for most users.
#[0] #[1] #[2] #[3]